Friday, May 7, 2010

A Good Finish to a Tough Week

Submitted by Michelle

It's been a tough week. Suzanne, a friend and colleague that I greatly admired, passed away very unexpectedly last week and my fellow teachers and I, along with many students, have been dealing with the sadness and loss that comes with death.

My sweet husband has been a great support to me, not asking too many questions but doing the things that he knows will make me happy like cooking and laundry and keeping the house picked up. He also surprised me with an early birthday/anniversary gift: The Kansas City Claudia purse from Kate Spade that I have been coveting for months on end! For several years David and I have been attempting to pay off all of our debts and have had a moratorium on all spending, particularly frivolous spending like high end purses. Those who know me, know I am a Kate Spade fiend and have a nice collection in my closet...which is probably why we ended up with so much debt to pay off in the first place. When I saw this little Kate Spade number in her Spring collection I really, really, really wanted it but knew there was no way it would be in our budget.

However, my husband is the type of guy who pays attention to things I like, such as designer purses, and somehow he managed to save his personal spending money and buy me the Kansas City Claudia on eBay! The surprise was totally unexpected and though a beautiful purse doesn't fill the void of losing a friend, it warmed my heart that David would do something so thoughtful for me, knowing how hard I've worked to get our finances in order and knowing how sad I am about the passing of Suzanne.

Along with my birthday/anniversary surprise, I also had a delivery from a local florist! The card with the flowers said, "Happy Mother's Day. Love Glenn and Yumi." Since I am not a mother nor do I know anyone named Yumi, I knew there was a mistake. After a phone call to the florist I found out my card should have said, "Congratulations on being named Teacher of the Year. From the APU Alumni Office." Yes blog readers, I am the Teacher of the Year for Adams Elementary School. Such a wonderful honor from my colleagues and such a thoughtful gift from my alma mater. And the ironic thing is, in the fall Suzanne asked me, "Have you ever been teacher of the year?" When I told her I had not she said, "We've got to get that for you." I'm pleased that her hope for me came true and when I accept my award on May 20th I know she'll be with me in spirit.